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You could be forgiven for mistaking the above for a generous serving of Baileys on ice… in fact it’s a less typical Christmas tipple - a nutritional festive shake in toffee apple and cinnamon flavour by global nutrition company, Herbalife.
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I’ve never tried anything like this before - I’m not a big dieter, so this was a whole new experience for me. Herbalife Festive Shake is designed as a meal replacement for weight control and nutrition, providing protein and nutrients for energy. I am not particularly overweight, but have put on about half a stone in recent months that I would like to shift - ie I can still get into my jeans, but they’re so tight they hurt!
I used Herbalife Festive to replace one meal a day. I tried it for both lunch and evening meal, but found lunch a lot easier to manage (I was starving by evening and did not enjoy watching my family tuck into lasagne!). My lunch is often rushed anyway and it was admittedly convenient (although bizarre) to mix this up, drink it and feel as full as I would after a sandwich.
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The shake is made by mixing two tablespoons of the powder with 250ml of semi skimmed milk, so a smallish glass. When mixed up, a glassful contains 220 calories, milk and soy proteins, antioxidants, fibre, herbs and 23 vitamins & minerals.
After replacing one meal a day with the shake for one week I had lost just under 2lbs, which I guess is a reasonable and healthy loss. I’d like to point out that I’m not an advocate of crash diets, but agreed to trial this product both out of curiosity and to help me lose a few pounds before Christmas.
I know there are many people out there who enjoy shakes and find them very convenient. I’m not a huge fan of cinnamon flavour and LOVE my food, so must admit this isn’t something I’d personally use if I wanted to tackle long-term weightloss. For those who favour this kind of product, it’s an innovative change from the usual strawberry or vanilla and seems to be effective.
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Herbalife describes the Key Benefits of this product:
- Provides a delicious, healthy meal with an excellent balance of protein and key nutrients for sustained energy
- Scientifically proven as an effective way to help manage your weight
- Combines soy protein and carbohydrate to help you stay fuller for longer and keep your energy levels high
- Contains high levels of vitamins and minerals to help you achieve a balanced diet
- Less than 220kcal of guilt-free enjoyment
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*This is just my personal experience of using this product…. please read the ingredients list carefully, visit Herbalife for further info and consult your GP to help decide if a product like this is a good choice for you, particularly if you have chronic kidney problems or insulin dependent diabetes.*
